Dept. of Game, Fish and Parks
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2001
For more information:  Dave McCrea, 773-3904

QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE YOUTH PHEASANT HUNT

PIERRE – South Dakota’s youth pheasant season will kickoff in just a few days with a special 3-day season for hunters under the age of 16. Game, Fish and Parks officials say there are several common questions that have come up in recent days from those planning to participate in this hunt scheduled for Oct. 13-15.

"One of the most common questions we have had concerns the number of pheasants a youth may take during this season," said Law Enforcement Specialist Dave McCrea. "Because the youth season coincides with the early resident-only pheasant season that allows resident hunters to hunt public land in the afternoon, some hunters have questioned if youths can take a limit of pheasants in the morning as part of the youth season and another limit in the afternoon as part of the early resident-only season. The answer is no. Rules specifically state that youth pheasant hunters are only entitled to one daily limit of three rooster pheasants and a maximum possession limit of nine taken according to the daily limit, regardless if they hunt both seasons."

Another common question involves the provision that a responsible adult must accompany those hunting the youth season. "We have had some parents ask if they can carry a gun if they are just hunting grouse while their son or daughter is hunting the youth pheasant season," McCrea said. "The parent or guardian may not carry a firearm anytime the youth is actively engaged in hunting pheasants on privately-owned land, or if the youth hunts public land from sunrise to noon."

McCrea added that "actively engaged in hunting pheasants" would include any youth shooting at a pheasant or having a pheasant in their possession. If the youth limits hunting to legal small game other than pheasants, t h e adult may carry a firearm.

Another question that has been posed concerns the use of lead or non-toxic shot while hunting pheasants. McCrea said that lead shot can be used for upland game bird hunting on private land, including private land leased as walk-in areas by the department. Once the youth enters public land, he or she must use steel or other non-toxic shot and may not have lead shot in possession.

Youth hunters will be able to hunt from sunrise to sunset on both private and public lands. However, which road rights-of-way are legal to hunt during the youth pheasant season has been another matter of concern for hunters. 

Not all rights-of-way are open to hunting. Rights-of-way open to hunting during both the youth and early resident-only pheasant seasons include those immediately adjacent to property owned, managed or leased by GFP for public hunting; property leased by the department as a Walk-In Area; Waterfowl Production Areas managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation property, U.S. Forest Service National Grasslands and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property adjacent to the Missouri River. Road rights-of-way immediately adjacent to private land are not open to hunting during these seasons.

Regulations for both the youth pheasant season and the early resident-only pheasant season can be found on pages 15-16 of the 2001 Hunting Handbook, which is available at GFP offices, most license agents and from the department’s website at www.state.sd.us/gfp/.

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